A shocking incident has emerged from Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, where an 81-year-old temple priest was brutally murdered simply because a prophecy he made did not come true. The perpetrators, a father and son, meticulously planned the crime and attempted to mislead law enforcement by framing an innocent neighbor.
According to police reports, the victim, Swami Devanand Bharti, served as a priest at a Shiva temple located in the Bhopa Kalan police station area. About a month and a half ago, when a child was expected in the family of the accused Zeeshan, the priest had reportedly predicted the birth of a baby boy. However, when a baby girl was born instead, the family grew deeply resentful, believing the false prediction brought dishonor to them.
The father, Hashim, and his son Zeeshan began harboring a grudge against the elderly priest. Seeking revenge, they devised a sinister plan to eliminate him while also settling scores with a local resident named Harendra, with whom they had an ongoing dispute. On the night of October 13, they arrived at the temple premises and shot the priest dead. To divert suspicion, they planted photographs of Harendra at the crime scene.
Police teams, utilizing advanced technical surveillance and local intelligence networks, quickly unraveled the plot. Investigators traced the origin of the planted photographs and gathered digital evidence that dismantled the fake narrative created by the suspects. Consequently, the police successfully arrested Hashim and Zeeshan, recovering two illegal firearms, ammunition, and the motorcycle used in the crime. Both accused have been remanded into judicial custody as further legal proceedings continue.
